GEN 2:4 Parallel View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on the version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context.

OET (OET-RV) What follows tells[fn] more details about the history of what God did when he created the heavens and the earth:
¶ During the time when Yahweh God[fn] made the earth and the heavens,

2:4 This little formula is sometimes known as a ‘toledoth’ (or ‘tōlədōt’, from the Hebrew word) and seems to mark a new section, but it’s debated whether this part belongs at the bottom of the previous section, or at the top of the following section. We’re assuming the later here.

2:4 This is the first occurrence of the Hebrew letters ‘יהוה’ (YHWH) in the Bible, which we find out later (in Exodus 3, also compiled by Moses) is God’s actual name. Although the vowels which go with those four consonants have been lost over the millenia, most scholars believe ‘Yahweh’ to be the best guess that we can make. (It’s certainly NOT ‘Jehovah’, which was a historical mistake made by confusing the vowels of two different words.) Some older translations use LORD which is NOT a translation of ‘יהוה’ (which means ‘I am’), but which represents confusion over the more recent Jewish (but non-Biblical) custom of not pronouncing God’s name (and which makes one wonder what’s the use of telling people your name if they’re then not allowed to use it).

Key: yellow:verbs, blue:Elohim, green:YHWH.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day when Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens,

UST What follows tells more details about the history of what God did when he created the heavens and the earth: During the time when Yahweh who is God made the earth and the heavens,

BSB § This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD [fn] God made them.

2:4 LORD or GOD, with capital letters, represents the proper name of the God of Israel and the one true God, transliterated from the Hebrew as YHWH; here and throughout the Scriptures.

OEB This is the story of the heavens and earth when they were created.
¶ At the time when the Lord God made earth and heaven,

WEB This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh[fn] God made the earth and the heavens.

2:4 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.

WMB This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD[fn] God made the earth and the heavens.

2:4 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.

NET This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created – when the Lord God made the earth and heavens.

LSV These [are] the generations of the heavens and of the earth in their being created, in the day of YHWH God’s making the earth and the heavens;

FBV This is the account of the Lord God's creation when he made the heavens and the earth.

T4T That is how God created the heavens and the earth.
¶ God, whose name is Yahweh, made the heavens and the earth.

LEB These are the generations[fn] of heaven[fn] and earth[fn] when they were created, in the daythat Yahweh God made earth and heaven[fn]—

?:? Or “family records”

?:? Or “the sky”

?:? Or “the earth”

?:? Or “sky”

BBE These are the generations of the heaven and the earth when they were made.

MOF No MOF GEN book available

JPS These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.

ASV These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven.

DRA These are the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the heaven and the earth:

YLT These [are] births of the heavens and of the earth in their being prepared, in the day of Jehovah God's making earth and heavens;

DBY These are the histories of the heavens and the earth, when they were created, in the day that Jehovah Elohim made earth and heavens,

RV These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.

WBS These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

KJB ¶ These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
(¶ These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, )

BB These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created, in the day when the Lord God made the earth and the heauens.
(These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.)

GNV These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heauens,
(These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, )

CB These are the generacions of heaue and earth whan they were created, in the tyme whan the LORDE God made heauen and earth:
(These are the generations of heaue and earth when they were created, in the time when the LORD God made heaven and earth:)

WYC These ben the generaciouns of heuene and of erthe, in the day wherynne the Lord God made heuene and erthe,
(These been the generations of heaven and of earth, in the day wherynne the Lord God made heaven and earth,)

LUT Also ist Himmel und Erde worden, da sie geschaffen sind, zu der Zeit, da GOtt der HErr Erde und Himmel machte
(So is heaven and earth worden, there they/she/them geschaffen sind, to the Zeit, there God the LORD earth and heaven machte)

CLV Istæ sunt generationes cæli et terræ, quando creata sunt, in die quo fecit Dominus Deus cælum et terram,[fn]
(Istæ are generationes cæli and terræ, quando creata are, in die quo fecit Master God the_sky and the_earth/land,)

2.4 Istæ sunt generationes. RAB. Eos tangit qui mundum sine initio dicunt semper fuisse, vel qui a Deo factum putant, sed ex materia quam non fecerit, sed coæterna ei. In die quo fecit, etc. Diem ponit pro omni tempore, quo primordialis creatura formata est, etc., usque ad sine pluvia et opere humano. Istæ sunt generationes cœli, etc. ISID., in Gen., t. 5 Numerati sunt sex dies quibus universitas sæculi a capite usque ad finem, etc., usque ad si non peccasset. Antequam oriretur in terra. Id est, priusquam peccaret, id est terrenis cupiditatibus se subderet. Unde sequitur: Non enim pluerat Deus super terram, hoc est, nondum propheticis vel evangelicis nubibus, imbre verbi emisso, animam vivere fecerat, et homo non erat qui operaretur terram, quia post peccatum homo laborare cœpit in terra, necessarias habuit nubes illas, unde virgultum, id est anima virebat. Irrigabat eam fons vitæ, id est, inundatio veritatis, loquens in intellectu ejus, ut pluvia de nubibus non egeret antequam peccaret. Hic erat status hominis ante peccatum. AUG., l. 5, de Genes. ad lit., c. 1, tom. 3 Alia translatio habet: Hic est liber creaturæ cœli et terræ, etc., usque ad magnos veritate, parvulos nutrit affabilitate. AUG., ibid., l. 6, c. 10 In prima mundi conditione, etc., usque ad semen ex herba.

2.4 Istæ are generationes. RAB. Eos tangit who the_world without initio dicunt semper fuisse, or who a Deo factum putant, but ex materia how not/no fecerit, but coæterna to_him. In die quo fecit, etc. Diem ponit pro omni tempore, quo primordialis creatura formata it_is, etc., usque to without pluvia and opere humano. Istæ are generationes cœli, etc. ISID., in Gen., t. 5 Numerati are sex dies to_whom universitas sæculi a capite usque to finem, etc., usque to when/but_if not/no peccasset. Antequam oriretur in terra. Id it_is, priusquam peccaret, id it_is terrenis cupiditatibus se subderet. Unde sequitur: Non because pluerat God super the_earth/land, hoc it_is, nondum propheticis or evangelicis nubibus, imbre verbi emisso, animam vivere fecerat, and homo not/no was who operaretur the_earth/land, because after peccatum human laborare cœpit in terra, necessarias habuit clouds illas, whence virgultum, id it_is anima virebat. Irrigabat her fons vitæ, id it_is, inundatio veritatis, loquens in intellectu his, as pluvia about nubibus not/no egeret before peccaret. Hic was status hominis ante peccatum. AUG., l. 5, about Genes. to lit., c. 1, tom. 3 Alia translatio habet: Hic it_is liber creaturæ cœli and terræ, etc., usque to magnos veritate, parvulos nutrit affabilitate. AUG., ibid., l. 6, c. 10 In prima mundi conditione, etc., usque to seed ex herba.

BRN This is the book of the generation of heaven and earth, when [fn]they were made, in the day in which the Lord God made the heaven and the earth,

2:4 Or, it took place.

BrLXX Αὕτη ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὅτε ἐγένετο, ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐποίησε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν,
(Hautaʸ haʸ biblos geneseōs ouranou kai gaʸs, hote egeneto, haʸ haʸmera epoiaʸse Kurios ho Theos ton ouranon kai taʸn gaʸn, )

UTN uW Translation Notes:

אֵ֣לֶּה

these

This phrase refers forward to Gen 2:5-24 and begins a new section. Chapter one of Genesis gives an overview of what God did each day of creation week, including that he created human beings on day six. Chapter two gives more details about how God created Adam and Eve, who were his most important creations. Each chapter emphasizes different parts of the same history; they are not two different histories. Make sure that is clear in your translation. Alternate translation: “These are more details about” or “This is more about” or “What follows gives more details about”

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַ⁠שָּׁמַ֛יִם וְ⁠הָ⁠אָ֖רֶץ בְּ⁠הִבָּֽרְאָ֑⁠ם

accounts the=heavens and=the=earth at=their=creation

The Hebrew text uses a passive construction here to emphasize the heavens and the earth. Decide the best way to do that in your language. Alternate translation: “the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created by God,” or “what happened when God created the heavens and the earth.”

בְּ⁠י֗וֹם

in/on=day

Consider whether or not it is clearer or more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here that continues into verse 5. Alternate translation: “during the days when” or “During the days when”

Note 2 topic: translate-key-terms

יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים

YHWH ʼₑlhīmv

This phrase is a combination of God’s personal name Yahweh with his title “God.” Both are used together when he is especially in focus. This pattern of using a personal name and a title together is also used for people in the Old Testament when they are being emphasized, for example, “Ahab king of Israel” and “Ruth the Moabitess.” Many translations have “LORD God” in place of Yahweh God throughout the Old Testament. This follows the Jewish custom of substituting the Hebrew title “Adonai” (which means “my Lord”) for Yahweh (which means “he is”) when they read the Scriptures aloud. More recently, translation teams are putting Yahweh back in the Bible text (especially in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament), and they include a footnote to explain the term. (Some translation teams consider using “Jehovah” instead of “Yahweh.” However that is not a name from the Bible, but is formed by taking the consonants from Yahweh and combining them with the vowels from “Adonai.”) Alternate translation: “God whose name is Yahweh”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / chiasm

עֲשׂ֛וֹת & אֶ֥רֶץ וְ⁠שָׁמָֽיִם

to_make & earth/land and=heavens

This clause forms a chiasm with “the heavens and the earth … created” in the first part of this verse. Try to keep the same phrase order in your translation. See how you translated the heavens and the earth in Gen 1:1 and 2:1. Alternate translation: “created the earth and the heavens”

Parallel GEN 2:4